Shuesday: Bonus WSJ edition!

The WSJ thinks it knows why women wear heels, and it's not because most flats look like Mephistos. To wit:

"High heels indicate power," says Stuart Weitzman, designer of many a power heel. "For some reason, it's a natural instinct for human beings."

This is partly a factor of height. At 5'9½ in bare feet, a pair of heels leaves Kristin Bentz, who runs a fashion-investment blog, towering over many men in a room. "I totally use the shoes for the intimidation factor -- for women and for men," she says.

Yet, as much as I'd like to argue that this is all about the added height, I'm afraid it's not. High heels are sexy. They offer an inherent contradiction: They make us more fragile, but conquering them to stride alongside men in their sensible flats creates mystique.

Naturally, the podiatrist they interviewed is a fan of Birkenstocks, calling them, "beautiful."

Heelpolitick: The Power of the Stilleto [WSJ]